18 June 2015

Editing Music Videos - Essential Read!

Andrew Goodwin - Music Video Analysis


To be used when analysing music videos as part of your research.

Andrew Goodwin identified a number of key features which distinguish the music video as a form; before you understand his theory you need to understand some key terminology. If you click on the key terms you will be taken to videos which best illustrate these terms.Illustrate: Images used to represent the meanings of the lyrics and genre (this is the most common feature of a music video) this is very often literal.

Disjuncture: When the meaning of the song is completely ignored.

Amplify: Meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown throughout the video and shown to the audience (basically repetition).

- There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals
illustrating, amplifying or contrasting the lyrics.

- There is a relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contrasting the music.


- Genres are complex and diverse in terms of music video style and iconography.


- Record companies will demand a lot of close-ups of the main artist or vocalist


- Voyeurism is present in many music videos, especially in the treatment of females, but also in terms of systems of looking. Some examples are screens within screens, cameras, mirrors, etc.

- There are likely to be intertextual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts, these provide further gratification and pleasure for the viewers/fans.


TASK
Using your favourite music videos,
TubeChop scenes where ANY of the above features are present. Screengrab and comment.

(With thanks to Lutterworth Media)